Control of electrical energy



De.,17,1929. v 'A, sPA E 1,739,924 I CONTROL OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY Original Filed May 15. 1926 Fly. 2.;

HI I

Patented Dec. 17, 1929 CLARENCE Originalbpplication-fild Aprn' Divided an-dapplication filed May 15, 1926, Seri UNHTEDF STAT-E "PATENT Y FI v filed Jul 21,1927. Serial No. 207,518.

I v This invention relates to amethod ofand means for quantitatively. controlling large amounts of energy. for .any desired purpose through the-use of a small controlling force; I

It often becomes desirable to produce a large periodic force-having aperiod-tlie same .asthatof-a given smaller force, as for ex-' ample in the reproduction of an: ampllfied sound Wave or etheric orlele'ctronic Wave. To do. this" it-becomes'necessar-y to provide a relatively large'supplyofe'nergy and to per 1-j "odically transform or direct portionsof thlsl energy-at the desired rate5or'to bring a large j force into play-in such manner as to' pro-" duce the desired form of energy atthe de' sired rate; Itis diflicult to dothis auto- "matically bymeans of a relatively small co'ntrolling forcesuchas thatof a sound wave .to be amplified] One of-the objects of this invention is to provide a method of and means for accomplishing this in such manneras tp.

produce much greater amplification thanthat ordinarily. obtained. In the lmown'methods of amplification it is often necessary to perform the process in several stages before the desired degree of amplification is obtained.

Bymy invention a large amplification may" be'obtain'ed in a single stage. Other ob]ects.- of my invention-will appear from the following description andappended claims;

' Inaccordance with myinvention electricity is set in motion and controlled by a 'delvice I in the natureo'f a gate-valve which in turn is controlled by the-relatively small amounts of energy obtained: from the force or'wave f to be amplified or reproduced, and the force exerted bythe moving electricity upon the a valve device,-or the charge thereon; is removed or greatly reduced. at intervals to permit the valve to be repeatedly reset and locked;

My inventionwill better understood by reference to the. accompanying drawings in which; Y

. Figures} and2 are 'diagrammaticviewsof' diflerentform-s-of my invention. 1

Referring to Fig. 1, the speech 'or sound to be reproduced or intensified impinges upon the diaphragm ofthe transmitter 1. The current from-the battery 4 in'the transmitter cire srmeunfor EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNQR'TO memo 001t- PORATIQN OF AMERICA, A oonronnrron or DEL AR conr'BoL 0F ntnorurcnr. Bunsen I 1918, Serial No. 226,127. Patent no. 1,595,429, dated Au ustio. i926."

alNo; 109,330. Again divided an d th is' application cuit; is thus varied iit'accordance with the sound Waves and these variatlons induce ani 'A very smallspark gap 9 is inserted in the I circuit between the secondary 3 a'ndlthe grid 11. Adjacent this spark gap is an ultra violet;

light source shown in the drawing as a mer-.

cury vapor rectifier 16, havingthe side branch s circuit 17, which maintains thelgwer endaofthe mercury columnin thetubecon ductQ-lve. To render the tube a positive-1-ecti'fier it'1 ay be nec'ssary t'o'lprovide cooling means for the] upper portion ofihe tube; Thepurpose of this ultra-violet light source is to periodically ionizethe' sparkgap. Alse' adjacent the spark gap .9 is ablovv-out-coil '15, the purpose of which is to'periodical'ly render the spark gap 9 1ion-conducting. The coil'15 t1n'd'the light source;.16 are connected in shunt with each other and'with the inductance coil 18, {of the main-oscillatory circuit II...

. Instead-of providing a contlnuous current whose energy isfto be-controlled by the energy of the speech currents; I-employ an oscillat- 'in'g current of relatively-high frequency. Thiscurrent flowsuin'the circuit II. The 0s'- 'cillations are induced by means of the trans ;forme'r 22, 23,.the primary of which is con- 7 n'ected .to'a source of oscillations of thcdesired frequency. The source'of oscillations is "shown the drawing as a quenched spark gapcircuit IIIcontainingthe rectifying -device 24 and'the spark-\gap device 25. a Any other known source of oscillating currents j may, however, be employed.- 1 p The vjcircuit II may be tu'nedtothe freof oscillations III)- by means-of the variable inductance 18 and variable condenser 21. The

- variable-impedance 19 may be placed in the I circuit II inshunt to the valve, devicei'10 if desired, by means of. switches 26 and*27.

The gate-valve device 10 consists of an evacuated container-for the grid 11, the heatea filament-13' and the plat 12.- The grid, 100

plate andfilainent are similar to those. em-

p quency desired. (preferably that of the source ployed in the vacuum tube device known as the audion, the filament being maintained. in a heated condition by means of the battery 28 in the well known manner. This gatevalve device is conducting in one direction only, its conductivity depending upon electrical conditions of the grid 11. For the purpose of this invention the vacuum of the device and the corresponding device of Fig. 2 may Vary within wide limits. It may he so high that the discharge will be entirely electronic or it may, on the other hand,. ap-

. proaeh atmospheric pressure if means are provided to prevent disintegration of the eated filaments and the charge on the grid is prevented from changing due to current therefrom or thereto-within the vacuum de vice. In case a discharge is employed which is entirely electronic, negative, biasing of '0 the vacuum tube can be relied upon to pre vent such current flow, this being the only means herein disclosed; but the invention in its broad aspects is not limited to the particular-nieans described.

The rectifier 14 is placed in series with the blow-out coil 15 for a purpose Which will later appear.

. The receiving circuit IV is shunted around the condenser 21. It consists of a condenser 0 20, the rectifying device 8 and the telephone receiver 7.. a x;

A battery 29 of any desired voltage may be connected aroundthe condenser 5 by means p of the switch 31. The function of this bat-- a5 tery is to place a negative charge upon the grid circuit.

A relatively high variable resistance 30 may be connected to the circuit; of grid 11 by means of switch 32. It may be necessary to -employ this resistance to permit a leakagev regulation of what might otherwise be an cessive charge upon the grid 11.

The operation of the system shown in Fig.

1 is as follows. A frequency of oscillation is 5 chosen for circuit II which is much greater than-the frequencyof the sound wave to be reproduced and is preferably, though not necessarily, above the up er limit of audibility. The impedance of t e gate-valve 10 being relativelyhigh, the circuit II-may not be a very persistent oscillator. In such case'the circuit- II should receive an impulse during each period. This impulse may be in either I direction but is preferably that indicated by the position of the rectifying device 24:, which .will induce a current in the circuit II in the direction of the arrow. If the circuit II is a 'pe'rsistent oscillator the circuit III may be adjusted to impart impulses to the circuit II 60, at less frequent intervals and at such times as not to oppose the current in the circuit II.

When the current in circuit II is in the di rection shown by the arrow, the potential drop across the coil 18 will tend to produce a current through the lamp 16 and the blowthrough the rectifier 8.

msaeac out coil 15. Assuming for convenience that blow-out coil 15 will instantly render the gap 9 non-conducting. I

When the current in the circuit II is in the opposite direction to thatindicated by the arrow, the drop in potential across the coil 18 will cause a'current to flow through the lamp 16 but can not produce a current through thebloW-out coil 15 because of the rectifier 1 1.

It is seen therefore that the gap is rendered alternately conducting and-non--con-; ducting by the current i-nthe main circuit II. The impedance of the valve device 16 varies. with the charge upon the gridll. The grid is preferably maintained negatively charged by means of battery 29. During operation of transmitter 1, the negative charge upon the grid 11 will rise and fall in accordance with the variations in the speech waves.

Assuming that the current in the main circuit II is at zero value, and about to begin to flow in the. direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow, the gap 9 is non-conducting and there is a certain negative charge upon the grid 11. As soon as the current begins to flow lamp 16 will be lighted thus rendering the spark gap 9 conducting. There follows an immediate readjustment of the charge upon the grid 11. Since there is always a tendency for the charge on the grid to be varied by increasing or decreasing of the current flowing through the valve and by changes in the charge upon the other elements within the evacuated space, as the current increases from zero to its maximum value in the circuit II, the negative charge upon the grid tends to decrease and will do so unless'the electromotive force in coil 3 happens to be sufficiently great and in the right direction to prevent. .As the current falls to' zero value again, its efiect upon the grid charge likewise falls to zero. This rise and fall of current inthe circuit II has had no effect upon the receiver 7 the current being in such direction that it could not pass The succeeding half wave of current in the circuit II is the effective orcworking portion of the current. It is in such direction as to pass through the rectifier 8 and operate the receiver 7. As the current begins to rise the charge upon the grid is substantially the same as though the grid were removed from the valve-10. At this instant the blow-out coil becomes operative and the charge upon the grid is therefore trapped and. remainsjso until the current in; the main circuit again reverses- This will'be for a very brief time as Assuming, for example, that the frequency oi" the sound wave is 500 and thatof the oscillating currents 25,000 there will be fifty re adjustments of the charge upon the griddurin; the period of a sound Wave. The eiiective half waves of the current in the circuit, II'are therefore varied in amplitude in accordance 2 increased volume. I

With thesouncl waves; The current'throggh the receiver 7 Wlll cause the reproduct on of the original sound waves but with greatly ly' smooth out the high frequency-variations in the rectifiedi'current' .without affect ng the characteristic of the amplitude variations.

The rectifier .33. may be inserted in. shunt" tothe val've device 10 if desired. The impedance-jof this rectifier may be very small compared with that of the device 10, so that theefi'ect will be'to substantially short-air;-

cuit the valve .10 during the-igron-efiectiveparts of, the maincurrent wave.

In Fig. 2 is. shownfa 'modificationin which.

a valve tube 670i the audion ty e alies the place of thetu'be 10 of Fig. La receiving antenna'takes theplace of the microphone c1r..-

" cuit ofthat figure and the arrangement is such'that the current-in'the main circuit II periodicallyfalls ,to zero butdoesnotireversei,

" In place of the spark gap 90f Fig. 1 with 'theassqciated blow-outicoil and source of ultra-violet light a double-tube60is used. This consists'of filainents61 and 64,- plates 62 and 63 and blow-out coill150 for controlling the impedance. 'This coil receives current from transformer 180. Ionization, rather than a purely electronic stream is relied upon to conductthe current through the tub'e160;

, and de-ioni'zing means in the formofa cool ing tube 51 of non-conducting ma terial i s .--placed in each part of the tube Where the ionizedgas will beforced 'against itb'y the magnetic field, and thus be de-ionized; The

' f grid 8 9.015 the valve 67 maybe connected to elements 61 and 62 of tubei60'. Elements 63. and 64; of this tube are connectedto ground or to the plate of ,thevalve67 through the an such that itsimpedan'ceefiectiis a and of very'small capacity.

tenna-tnansform'er. Y g y 4 y The doubletube 60 should be small; or low 1 impedance when the current thru coil 150 minimum,

66 is a second tubeofthe audion' typ'ey the .,function of which is'to periodically reduce the current strength in the circuit III to..zero

1 c i P e d- The function of the condenser 20 13 to parti value. This tube 66 is normally in series with the tube 67 in the circuit II. It will he understood that the function ofthe tube 67 is tochange the impedance'of the circuit, II

in accordance With the voice currents of the antenna circuit. r The c rcult II is a divided circuit and H11- ductance 811 and condensers 6 9. 70, 7 6 and 90 may be cut into orout of circuit as desired by means of switches 82, 71, '72, 73, 74, 75, 77, 92

and Inductances91 and 84' and battery are permanently in circuit. Switches '86' and 87 enablethe tube 67 to be cut out of circuit, in which case the tube 66 may also perform the function of tube 67 In'suchcase switches 88 and 68 are thrownto connect the tube 60 to the grid of the tube 6.6. Thereturn v i circuitof tube 60 may terminate in the plate by means of1svvitchi88, T-h e latter connec- The operation of this system is sil'nilar toj -that ofFi'g. 1 and may be describ'edasifol;

of tube 67 or may be connected to ground I I lows; Initially,-- current from battery 80 flowing towards coils 81 and 91 divides, part returning to the battery through the coil 81,

tube 66, tube; 6.7and transformer 79. The

:other part of the current flows through coil -91-,' the branches containing condenser 76 and inductance 84a and condenser 69,-respectively,

-the'condenser O-to the grid of the tube 66.

This part of the current ifiows only momentarily, as it ismerely condenser charging cur-I rent. Bya proper adj ustmentof the variable inductances and capacities, areaction may be setup by which the current flowing into the .grid of'the tube 66, completely stops theflow of-current "through. this tubeaa'n oscillation \in the circuit'84, 69, 76 immediately following whereby the charge: is withdrawn from the grid and the current again flows through the 3 I tube 66. Thus oscillations are set up and maintained. v

Transformer 180 spect to the restof the circuit that the tubes 60 ;are normally cond'uctingbut are. rendered is so, designedwith rev non-conducting whenever current starts to flow in circuit 'II, that is; whenever the current rises to a valuewhich makes the field 3 of the coil 150 effective In-this ay thetube 60 looks thechargeon' the grid.89 (or the grid I of-tube 66 if tube. 67 is out out of circuit) during the mid-portionat least of each currentimpulsein circuit II.--

1 p [Since the current in'circuit II'falls to zero value -.pcriodiically but does notreverse, the

voltage induced .in Y the secondary of the rtransformerll80 bythe=primary-is'first inone I direction andth'en in the reverse direction for each pulseof current 'inthe primary. The

electric constants of the secondary circuit in-' cluding the blow-out coil of course affect the form and time-of occurrence of the secondary pulses in' Well known manner, so that the efiecti've field set up by the blow-out coil may be made to occur during the mid portion at least of the period of current flow in circuit II and a period of conductivity of tube 60 during a part at least of the period of no current flow in circuit II, thus approaching at least the condition of having the correspond ing periods exactly coincide.

During the receipt of radiated Waves on the antenna I, the negativecharge on the grid 89 will rise and fall in accordance with the current in the antenna, but instead of rising and falling continuously it will do so by increments separated by periods during which the negative charge is trapped on the grid 89 by reason of tube 60 becoming nonconducting due tod'he action of blow-out coil 150. When the tube 60 again becomes conducting there follows an immediate readjustso high compared with that of said signaling ment of the charge upon the grid'll.

interru tions of the current in the circuit II caused ,y the tube 66 must be.of very high frequency compared with the frequency of the curre'nt in the receiving circuit. -The surges of current. through the transformer 79 will vary in amplitude according to the form of current in the receiving circuit and I 1,595,429,v Serial No. 226,127 filed April 1,

1918 and granted August 10, 1926.

I claim:

1. A relay system comprising an audion having grid and plate circuits, and a valve connected in series in said gridcircuit con trolled by current 1n said plate circuit.

2. A: relay system comprising a unidirec- ,tionalspace discharge device having a gas tight receptacle, a cold anode and a hot electron 'eihittiug; cathode and an impedance control'element within said receptacle, means 'for impressing electric waves upon said anode and cathode, and means for controlling said impedance control element to cause the conductivity of said-device to periodically drop "to a very small value at a frequency waves.

3.. A relay system comprising a unidirectionalspace discharge device having a gas tight receptacle, a cold anode and a hot electron, emitting cathode and animpedance con- 1 -trol"element within said receptacle, an output circuit for said tube connected tosaid cathode and said anode, means for impressing a low frequency signalingwave on said output circuit, and means for varying the po- .tential of said impedance control element to periodically interrupt the flow of the signaling wave and to raise the conductivity of said It will be understood, of course, that the" interruptions.

4. The combination with an electron discharge device having an electron emitting cathode, a non-electron emitting anode, and an impedance control element, of an input circuit associated with said impedance con-- discharge device to a high value between said comprising a feed-back circuit associated v with both said output circuit and said input circuit, means for causing a portion only of the energy of the current in saidv output circuitto be diverted to said feed-back circuit, and means in said feed-back circuit actuated by said'diverted energy to control by inductive action upon said inputcircuit the instantaneous value of the charge upon said im-- pedance control element. c

5. The combination with an electron discharge device having an electron emitting cathode, a non-electron emitting anode,and an impedance control element, of an input circuit associated with said impedance control element, an output circuit associated with said cathode and anode, a source of variable potential, means associated with said input circuit to impress variable potential from said source upon said impedance control eleunidirectional conducting space discharge de-' vices in parallel relation in said circuit, a high frequency generating circuit comprising a space d scharge device having an electron ment, and means for overcoming the effect emitting cathode, a non-electron emitting anode and an electro-static impedance control element, means for impressing energy from 3 said first circuit'upon said second circuit, and

means for supplying high frequency energy from said sec'ondcircuit to said first circuit comprising an electromagnetic element setting up a magnetic field in said unidirectional space discharge devices.

7. A detector'for high frequency signaling currents comprising a pair of electron disa charge devices oppositely connected in a circuit upon which received signaling currents may be 1mpressed, and means for producing current flow through said devices.

8. A detector for high frequency signaling 'a magnetic field for periodically varying the I charge devices oppositely connected in'a circurrents comprising a pairof electron dis-.

cuit upon, whichreceived signaling currents may-be impressed, and neans' .forp'roducing a magnetic field for .peij'iodically varying the resistances of said devices i'udependently-of the current fiow therethrough.

.1 Means for detecting high. frequehcy sig nals comprising a circuit upon which signaling currents received from a. distant station; may be impressed, a resistance in said "circuit .COmprising an electron discharge devicehav- 1, ing an [electronemitting cathode and: an

v anode, and meanscontrolled independently said resistance.

of current floiwing between said cathode and I anode for periodically varying the value of 10. I Means for 1 detecting -.l1igh frequency signals comprisinga circuit fupon which sig-,

naling currents received from a distant station may be. impressed, a resistance insaid circuit comprising, an electron discharge de v ce having an electron em tting cathode and an anode, and al local source of current zfo'r periodically varying the valueof said resiste ancelindependently of the current flowingibe-u,

- tween said cathode and anode. Y

11. Means for, detecting high frequency. signals comprisingacircuit' upon which si'g naling currents maybe impressed, a resist ance in, said. circuit comprising an electron discharge-"device having an-electr n emittingcathode and an anode, means for producing a magnetic field for periodically varying the "value of said resistance, andfmeans associated with said circuit forproducing an indication of the signals impressed upon the circuit.

-signals comprising acircuit upon which sige 12. Means for detecting high: frequency.

naling currents maybe impressed, a resist- I ance in said circuit comprising an electron" P discharge device having anelectronemitting cathode andan anode, a'localsourcefof cur-" rent for producing a magnetic field "forf periodically varying the value of's aid-resist' ance, and means. associated with said circuit for. producing, an indication of the'signals im-i pressed upon the circuit. h i f 13.. Means fordetecting high frequency signals comprising a circuit upon which signalingcurrentsmay be impressed, a resistance in said circuit comprisingan electron discharge device having an electron emitting cathode and an anode, indicating means'in said circuit, and a local source ofcurrent for producing a magnetic field for periodically.

varying the value of said'resistance.

14. Means for detecting high frequency signals comprising a'circuitupon which signaling currents maybe" impressed, a pair of resistances connected in said circuit through each of whichcui'rent is carried in part by a stream of negative electrons, said resistances being connected to carry current in opposite directions, and means for producing Ai fdet'ector for high J13 frequencysignal ing currents comprising an electron dischalrge apparatus having the. characteristic that the 'current flowing therethrough' is directly pr0-" r ortional'to the impressed voltage, and means 5 fcrper'iodically .va yin'gthe valueaof the re-' sistance of said apparatus j 17'. 'A- detector forjhi gh frequency signala ing currents comprising an'electron discharge Qf apparatus havingfithe characteristic'that the v9i) current flowing therethrough is directly pro? Fportional tethe impressed; voltage, and means ffo'rpei'iodically varyinglthevalue of the re. 'sistan'celf'ofi said apparatus between fixed maximum'iand'minimum values. .ffflSF'A detector-for high frequency signal- ,ingcurrents-comprising an electron discharge apparatushaving the characteristic'that the currentflowingltherethro'ugh is directly pro:

portional to the" impressed voltage, and means ioriproducingfa varying magnetiefiegld-irir, per odically-varyingthe value of the mel e 'anceofsaid apparatus..-

' v frequency si gna I- 19. A detector for high ing currents comprising'an electron discharge 10 5 apparatus having'the characteristic that-"the current-flow ng therethroughlis directly mi. portional to .the impressed Yoltage, a id a said'apparatus. I

20; The method of detectinga high fre quency signaling current, which comprises impressing. the current to be detected iipon' a circuit "containing. ,a resistance, producing a variable magnetic field and subjecting said cally varying the value of the resistance of resistance, to the action ofisaid naagnetiefieldfi in such a way as to vary the value of the re'-' v 2 sistance in accordance with variations in the magnetic field. i i. d 21. The method of detecting ahigh frequency signaling current,'. which comprises impressing the current to be detected upon-.125 a circuit containing'a resistance, utilizing alocal source of high frequency' current to producei a'variable magnetic field and subjecting said resistance to the action of said magnetic field in such a way as to vary the-value;

local, source offalter'nating current for 'pr'o- I ducing a ivarying'magnetic field'for periodi- 1101 of the resistance in accordance with varia tions in the magnetic field. Y

22. Receiving apparatus for translating radio frequency current comprising a circuit, a thermionic device comprising an anode and cathode in said circuit, said circuit being normally without current, means for impressing the received current upon said anodecathode circuit,-a translating instrument subjected to the modified received current in said circuit, and means for independently varying the impedance of said circuit for varying the amplitude of said current.

23. Receiving apparatus radio frequency current comprising a circuit, a thermionic device comprising an anode, cathode and field-producing-means for varying the discharge between said anode and cathode, said anode and cathode being disposed in said circuit and said field-producing means being external to said circuit, means for independently varying saidfield for varyin the amplitude of the modified current in said circuit, and a translating instrument sub current of varying jected to said modified amplitude.

24, Receiving apparatus 'for translating radio frequency current comprising a circuit, means for impressing signal representing radio frequency'curre'nts upon said circuit,

' a thermionic device comprisingan ano dc and ently of any signal representing currents, and

a cathode included'in said circuit, field-producing means which are external to said circuit,=means for ,varying' said field exclusively by a local source of currents, and independthereby varying the amplitude of the current in said circuit, and a translating instrument subjected to said current of varying amplitude.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of July, A. D. 1927 CLARENCE A. SPRAGUE.

for translating 

